Guwahati, Dec 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attended the golden jubilee celebrations of Northeastern Council at the State Convention Centre in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other ministers and dignitaries were present in the function.
Modi, on the occasion, released ‘Golden Footprints’, a commemorative volume chronicling NEC’s contribution towards the development of the northeast over the last 50 years.
A short film on NEC’s journey of 50 years was also screened on the occasion, the statement said.
Speaking at the programme, PM Narendra Modi said, “It’s a coincidence that when today there’s football world cup final to be held , I am here in Shillong holding a rally in a football field amidst football fans . There football mani is on and here we are on a development mania is on. In football when someone plays foul and against sportsmen spirits he is given red card in the same way in the Northeast in last 8 years we have given red card to all hurdles in Northeast from under development, corruption, political favoritism, unrest,”.
“ We are focusing in sport development in Northeast. The first Sports university in the country of in Northeast and 90 major sports projects are on in northeast. Today the World cup is in Qatar and we are cheering for foreign teams but let me assure you that days are not dar that we will host such global sport event and our tricolor will fly high and we will cheer our team.The previous government at centre had a ‘divide’ northeats approach and we have a ‘divine’ approach for northeast,” PM Modi said.
He further said, “We are working towards peace in northeast, we are solving the conflicts. For us the border areas in Northeast is not the last mile but our main pillars. We work on the vibrant border village project. The previous government used to think if we develop the border area then enemy country will benefit but we are going to make the border areas our strongest bastions.We is working on better connectivity, roads, etc to border villages,”.
“Last year I went to Vatican city and I met the pope and I invited him to India and that meeting has a great impact on me and we discuss about how unity of humanity is important for human race , we are pushing the politics of peace and development and the tribal society is greatly benefitted for this. In Meghalaya along 2 lakh household got electricity for the first time, 3 lakh house hold got tapped water for first time. In few days we will celebrate Christmas and today from northeast I would like to convey advance best wishes for Christmas,” PM Modi said.